La Galaxia de Estrellas

Well, though this was the most boring summer I had ever had I achieved something which I'll never forget. I created this blog and now the opera community thinks that I am cool and I have been spotlighted. I consider this to be my biggest achievement this summer. I thank all those who have supported me throughout my blogging days and I promise to write even more very soon. A special thanks to Opera.

I have been a keen follower of this World Cup both through the internet and the television set. So in order to keep a record of the best and the worst matches of this world cup I decided to post the highlights and quotes from the best and the worst matches and goals of this world cup. After each match report I have given out my rating out of a possible 5 stars.

ITALY 1-1 FRANCE (ITALY WIN 5:3 THROUGH PSO)
Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany, 9th July 2006

Italy are world champions for the fourth time after beating ten-man France 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Berlin's Olympiastadion on Sunday, 9 July 2006. Twelve years after losing to Brazil in the first shoot-out in a FIFA World Cup™ Final, Italy made up for that heartbreak as all five men in blue converted their kicks to claim world football's greatest prize for the first time since 1982. For France the pain of defeat was compounded by the sight of Zinedine Zidane, on his last appearance as a professional, leaving the field having been sent off in extra time for butting Marco Materazzi off the ball. It was Italy's first successful shoot-out in a FIFA World Cup after previous failures in 1990, 1994 and 1998 and ironically it was a miss from France’s David Trezeguet – whose golden goal had defeated the Azzurri in the final of UEFA EURO 2000 – that opened the door for Fabio Grosso to fire the winning spot-kick past Fabien Barthez and spark celebrations all the way from Bergamo to Bari. If penalties can resemble a lottery, there could have been no more deserving matchwinner than Grosso, such a positive influence for Italy throughout this tournament. He was one of several Italians prominent in a first period where the Italians played the more fluent football, although it was France who took an early lead. Eight years after scoring twice in the FIFA World Cup Final in Paris, Zidane opened the scoring with a seventh-minute penalty after Materazzi’s trip on Florent Malouda. By the 19th minute, however, Materazzi had made amends, the big defender heading the equaliser from Andrea Pirlo’s corner. Although both sides threatened to score a second – notably Italy’s Luca Toni, who headed against Fabien Barthez’s crossbar before the break - neither managed to add a second. Extra time brought a scare for Italy when Buffon had to tip over Zidane's header but soon afterwards the France captain was making the sad walk to the dressing rooms.

The match:
6': This Final began with the most extraordinary of opening goals after Materazzi was adjudged to have illegally halted the progress of Malouda as he hurtled into the box. The resultant penalty saw two adidas Golden Ball candidates face off, and it was Zidane who prevailed, if only just, with an impudent chip that deceived Buffon, but rebounded off the underside of the bar and dropped down no more than a foot over the line. (0-1)

9': Materazzi, perhaps unsettled by his role in the French goal, came perilously close to doubling Les Bleus' advantage - and his own misery - when he glanced a Willy Sagnol cross into the side-netting with Buffon scrambling frantically across his line.

14': With Andrea Pirlo's set-pieces as dangerous as ever, Lilian Thuram showed admirable bravery to dive in and head one particular out-swinging free-kick behind for a corner, this from a position which could easily have seen the Juventus defender put through his own goal.

19': Italy hauled themselves level thanks to a potent combination of Pirlo’s dead-ball mastery and the aerial ability of Materazzi, as the latter gained spectacular redemption for his earlier blunder by towering above the French defence to bullet the former’s corner past Barthez. (1-1)

35': Some neat, one-touch interplay by the Azzurri on the edge of the French box gave Toni his first scent of goal, but Thuram slid in decisively to make a last-ditch saving tackle. France's defence again struggled to deal with Italy’s height and power from the resultant corner, however, and Toni headed yet another pinpoint Pirlo cross against the crossbar.

France assume control:
47': Henry started the second half in threatening mood, breaking into the Italy box but failing to trouble Buffon with his shot.

49': As in the first period, however, Italy looked threatening from a corner as Totti swung in the ball towards the head of Cannavaro but his effort was blocked by a defender and France survived.

50': Henry showed remarkable balance to carry the ball past three defenders but he could not pick out a white shirt with his low ball across goal, Zambrotta clearing the danger.

58': Despite the loss of Patrick Vieira with an apparent hamstring injury, replaced by Alou Diarra, France continued to take the game to the Azzurri. Lippi responded by sending on Daniele De Rossi and Vincenzo Iaquinta in place of Francesco Totti and Simone Perrotta.

62': France breathed a sigh of relief when Toni headed a Pirlo free-kick past Barthez only for the linesman to raise his flag for offside. Moments later at the other end, Henry, under pressure from Cannavaro, found the space to get in a shot but Buffon made the save.

72': Toni turned on the edge of the box and forced Barthez into a low save but the Italian had controlled the ball with his arm before letting fly.

78': As the clock ticked down, the game became increasingly scrappy with neither side enjoying any sustained possession. Pirlo was not far off target with a 25-yard free-kick, curling the ball narrowly wide of Barthez’s right-hand post.

90': Come the closing moments of the match, and despite the introduction of Alessandro Del Piero, it was Italy on the back foot but for all their probing, France were unable to open up the Azzurri back line.

Extra time:
100': Ribery created and then spurned the first opportunity of the extra period. He played a wall pass with Malouda on the edge of the Italy box and continued his run into the area before poking the ball just wide of the far post.

104': France were dominating and Zidane was denied a second goal only by the excellence of Buffon. The French No.10 slipped the ball out wide to Willy Sagnol and then met the ensuing cross with a firm header but Buffon tipped over.

111': Suddenly this Final took another twist as referee Horacio Elizondo brought play to a halt and marched to the other end of the field, where, after consulting with his linesman, he sent off Zidane for an off-the-ball incident in which Materazzi was butted in the chest. A sad way for the France captain to end his glorious career.

Penalties:
Pirlo, Materazzi, De Rossi and Del Piero all converted their spot-kicks for the Azzurri but although Sylvain Wiltord, Eric Abidal and Sagnol found the net for France, Trezeguet’s miss from France's second penalty let in Grosso to win the Trophy for Lippi’s side.

In conclusion:
Italy are deserved world champions after this narrowest of triumphs over France. In doing so, they buried the ghosts of USA 94 and climbed above Germany as the most successful European team in FIFA World Cup history with four wins. For France and Zidane there was no fairy-tale ending and instead they are left to reflect on a bitter ending to an unexpectedly long adventure.

MAN OF THE MATCH : ANDREA PIRLO (ITA)

Coaches' Quotes:

Marcello LIPPI (ITA)

The further we progressed in this tournament, the more we realised we could win it. Our confidence grew from match to match, especially when we beat Germany in a stadium that couldn't have been more perfect for them. It was a special game, starting with that penalty, then an equaliser and a general drop in tension. We always had hope, even though we were up against great players. We stayed cool, and I would also like to thank the Italian supporters for their support. I'm a fan of Zidane, but the fourth official saw what happened. It's bizarre to end your career like that, if it is the end of his career. I knew if we scored our first penalty, we could score them all. Life hands you gifts sometimes and that's how I think of (Fabio) Cannavaro, the best defender in the world, and (Gianluigi) Buffon, who caused (David) Trezeguet to miss his spot-kick. But I was sure we were going to win because the players were very motivated by the idea of taking penalties. (Francesco) Totti was feeling the effects of playing 120 minutes against Germany and perhaps he didn't recover in time. Now we'll enjoy this fantastic moment and later on we'll find out what's going to happen in the Italian championship. How do I feel right now? I'm a world champion and I've never experienced that before.

Raymond DOMENECH (FRA)

It's a huge disappointment. We prepared ourselves to be at our best, the team got stronger and that was all part of the plan. You could see that in how we were a notch above our opponents in extra-time. The players now have to remember what they've achieved. (Zinedine) Zidane's red card was one of the turning-points of the match, as was Vieira coming off (with an injury). We found ourselves with ten men at a time when we were controlling the game. As for the incident itself, the fourth official saw what happened and informed the referee. The assistant referee saw nothing. I don't know what (Marco) Materazzi said, but he's the Man of the Match, not (Andrea) Pirlo. It's Materazzi who equalised and provoked Zidane's sending-off. It's sad, but I think the Italian player made a meal out of what happened. Zidane would normally take one of the first penalties in a shoot-out but his not being there didn't change much. I can't fault the players, they did their best. Was it enough? No. All I can think about now is the disappointment. My own future is not important at the moment. I'm sad for Zidane because he was always there for us during this competition. I'd have preferred substituting him five minutes before the end so he could have received a different ovation from the crowd to the one he got.

Players' Quotes

Andrea PIRLO (ITA)

It's an overwhelming joy, but it will take time to fully sink in. I cannot believe we are the World Champions! About Zidane, the referee reacted butt. But we must not forget that he's still a huge champion. It was a hard game, but we knew it would be. We fought hard until the match finished. Thankfully, the lottery of the penalty shoot-out went our way.

Gennaro GATTUSO (ITA)

We've come to the end of our World Cup adventure and I'd like to thank the German people. Everyone I've met during the past month has been very polite, respectful and well-behaved. Now we're going back to Duisburg to party all night.

Vincenzo IAQUINTA (ITA)

The sixth penalty taker was going to be either me or Luca Toni. I felt very good. This year I’ve taken penalties and hit them well. Luckily I wasn’t needed in the end. France showed they’re stronger than Germany. I found it very hard to contribute in attack when I came on because I had to worry more about defending.

Gianluigi BUFFON (ITA)

I still can’t believe it. It’s as if we’ve won some other trophy. It’ll be different tomorrow when I’ve had some time to think about what’s happened. I definitely would’ve saved the fifth penalty, but my team-mates were good enough to make sure it didn’t come to that.

Patrick VIEIRA (FRA)

It's such a shame that we lost the way we did – there's nothing worse. I thought we played pretty well and we were better than them in the second half. We could have won, we came so close and I'm really disappointed. When you get to the Final and then you lose, particularly on penalties, it's a massive blow.

David TREZEGUET (FRA)

We're pleased with the way we played and we showed that we were as good as the opposition. Congratulations to Italy, though. It's a real shame for France. It's a huge disappointment, but these things happen. Personally, I didn't have much luck throughout the tournament. I placed my penalty really well, but then… France should have won, but that's life. Perhaps it wasn't one of the greatest Finals ever seen. As far as Zidane is concerned, what he did is part and parcel of being a footballer. What we have to remember is that he is an extraordinarily good player who had an incredible World Cup. I'm proud that he plays for France, and I'd like to thank him and give him my congratulations.

Fabio GROSSO (ITA)

It's a moment of overwhelming joy and my thoughts are with my nearest and dearest. I'd like to dedicate this victory to my wife and family. The penalty shoot-out was incredibly tough, but we wanted to win this World Cup more than anything else in the world and we managed to come through in the end.

Mauro CAMORANESI (ITA)

Tonight's result is fantastic. We were made to suffer, but we stood up and were counted tonight. We gave our all on the pitch. I promised I'd get my hair cut if we won, so they cut it for me in the dressing room. I'll let it grow again though...

Luca TONI (ITA)

Fantastic! We’re the World Champions, I still can’t believe it. I can’t think straight at the moment but it’s a wonderful feeling. Who cares about hitting the bar, the important thing was to win. Now we want to celebrate with the Italy fans when we get back to Rome. We’re going to party all summer. I hope (Marcello) Lippi stays on, but it’s his decision and he’ll make it in his own time.

Francesco TOTTI (ITA)

This win is very important because it’ll go down in history. I can’t describe how overjoyed I am, I still can’t believe it. I’m happy with my performance, although the most important thing this evening was the team. France played very well with a system similar to ours. They made us suffer but we won in the end.

Willy SAGNOL (FRA)

I didn't see what Zizou did, but I don't think that it changed the course of the match. We had a couple of good chances, but Italy ended up winning it, and whoever manages to go all the way and win the World Cup obviously deserves it. They were very strong in defence and they created a lot of chances from set pieces. It's a shame that the match was decided on penalties. We have to thank Zizou and the others who are retiring. We have to get over this defeat, even though in sporting terms it's difficult to accept. What we did at this tournament was truly wonderful, and what we achieved as a group is worth any amount of medals. I just hope that we manage to come to terms with losing this Final by the time we get round to the Euro qualifiers.

Florent MALOUDA (FRA)

We did all we could, and we can have no regrets. The Italians were looking to provoke us throughout the match. We're now just going to carry on and try to use this as a springboard for the next competitions we enter. What we've experienced here as a group really was something special.

Alou DIARRA (FRA)

Everyone gave it all they had tonight, but we lost, and we accept that. We had a great tournament, and it's a shame that it has to come to an end like this. We're really disappointed, but we can be proud of ourselves. We have to think back to all the things that we achieved and remember all the good times. That said, it's tough for the squad at the moment. Nobody was saying a word in the dressing-room.

Eric ABIDAL (FRA)

First of all, I'd like to congratulate Italy. We definitely got off to a slow start, but afterwards, I think that we played as well as we could have done. For me, penalties aren’t football, and it's hard to come to terms with losing like that. Up until then, everything had been just right… We'd come in for a lot of criticism, and that meant that we really wanted to go all the way. Unfortunately, we didn't quite manage to put the icing on the cake. The referees? They're just doing their job, and as far as tonight is concerned, what Zizou did was pretty serious.

An amazing match. A fitting end to what has been an amazing tournament. Sad that Zizou's career had to end with a red card but a deserving victory to Italy whose defence has been as solid as never despite the absence of Alessandro Nesta.

MY RATING:

BRAZIL 0-1 FRANCE
World Cup Stadium, Frankfurt, Germany, 1st July 2006

France have booked their place in the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ semi-finals at the expense of holders Brazil, this after a Zinedine Zidane-inspired 1-0 win for Les Bleus in Frankfurt set up a last-four clash with Portugal. Thierry Henry’s 57th-minute volley was the game’s solitary, all-important goal, and with Raymond Domenech’s side inspired by a vintage showing from Zidane, Brazil could have few complaints at the final whistle. France now complete an all-European line-up in the tournament’s semi-finals, with their clash against England’s conquerors Portugal scheduled for 5 July in Munich, a day after Germany and Italy do battle in Dortmund.

The match:

1’: Zidane produced some excellent footwork in the opening seconds of the match. Sporting golden boots, he spun away from the attentions of the Brazilian
midfielders, but over-hit a pass meant for Thierry Henry.

4’: Brazil won a free-kick in a dangerous position after Franck Ribery fouled Ronaldinho, buy Juninho Pernambucano's shot deflected off Patrick Vieira’s head and out
for a corner.

14’: After a sustained spell of pressure, France forced a corner. Dida failed to gain the cross comfortably, but got enough purchase on the ball to push it clear of danger.

15’: Play immediately switched to the other end and Brazil created a good chance to score. Ronaldo whipped in a good cross and Kaka was just inches away from steering the ball past Fabien Barthez.

26’: Lucio conceded his first foul at this FIFA World Cup when he clipped Henry’s heels. Zidane hit the free-kick over the bar.

33’: Ribery ran into Gilberto Silva and won a free-kick. Thuram charged into the box and got on the end of Zidane’s centre, but his header was aimed straight at Juan, who cleared the danger.

44’: Once again, Zidane was at the centre of the action to create a chance for France. After collecting possession and turning, he played the ball through to Vieira, who was racing clear of Brazil’s back four. Juan brought down the Juventus midfielder on the edge of the area and earned a yellow card.

France on the front foot:

46’: Right from the restart, France were on the offensive. In the opening minute of the second period, Vieira met a Zidane free-kick with a glancing header, but the ball flew just wide of the post.

48’: Ronaldinho showed some fine touches to try and emulate the example of the enchanting Zidane. After displaying some excellent ball control on the right, he won a corner for the holders. Brazil managed to sustain the pressure for a few minutes and Barthez had to be alert to prevent Ze Roberto’s cross-cum-shot from finding the target or one of his team-mates.

54’: France had the ball in the net when Henry latched on to Vieira’s flick-on and slotted home, but the linesman rightly ruled the effort out for offside.

57’: Just three minutes after being denied, Henry broke the deadlock. A free-kick from Zidane was floated into the box and the Arsenal striker was left unmarked to steer a right-footed volley into the net.



61’: Ribery spun away from Lucio near the corner flag and attempted to square the ball to Zidane. However, the ball took a deflection off Juan and flashed just past the far post.

70’: France broke quickly and Ribery looked certain to score, but Dida narrowed the angle and blocked at the winger's feet on the edge of the area.

81’: Substitute Robinho had arguably Brazil’s best chance of the game, but the Real Madrid man shot wide of the target when well placed in the area.

88’: Ronaldo was fouled on the edge of the area by Thuram, and Ronaldinho stepped up to take the free-kick. With hearts in mouths across France, the FIFA World Player of the Year curled his effort inches over the crossbar to the great relief of Raymond Domenech’s side and their noisy supporters.

91+’: Substitute Louis Saha was played in by Zidane for a shot that Dida saved well. The goalkeeper cleared the ball downfield to put France on the back foot. Barthez denied Ronaldo with a superb stop and Gallas was on hand to clear the rebound ahead of Adriano.

In conclusion: France fully merited this victory, orchestrated by the superb Zidane, whose performance was well worthy of the Budweiser Man of the Match Award. The 34-year-old was simply sensational in this match, supplying an inch-perfect cross for Henry’s goal and showing a superb range of passing and skills throughout the 90+ minutes.

Man Of The Match: Zinedine ZIDANE (FRA)
Zindedine Zidane turned back the clock and showed the form that won him three FIFA World Player of the Year awards as he led France to a 1-0 quarter-final victory over Brazil in Frankfurt. ‘Zizou’, who was recognized as the best player in the world in 1998, 2000, and 2003, comfortably outshone his opposite number and current FIFA World Player of the Year, Ronaldinho, with a vituoso display of skill, vision and guile. The French skipper was constantly at the centre of the action for Les Blues, using subtle, delicate touches to escape Brazilian defenders and directing dangerous balls to striker Thierry Henry. It one such cross, in fact - from a set piece on the left wing - that found the Arsenal man wide open at the far post for a close-range volley that he side-footed past Dida into the roof of the Brazilian net.

Zidane was easily the most influential player in the French team, His footwork was amazing, his passing exquisite. He totally marshalled the midfield. This French team has never looked as good as they did today because of Zidane.

said FIFA Technical Study Group member Alvin Corneal.



Quotes From The Match:

The Coaches

Carlos Alberto PARREIRA (Coach, BRA)

I’m very sad, and so are the team. Getting knocked out was a situation that we hadn’t prepared for. We started the game well, and our passing was sharp. But our attackers always found it difficult, because France, just like the other teams that we have played, got all of their men behind the ball. But we tried and we had a few chances. The French team played with a lot of spirit. (Zinedine) Zidane is a player that we know well, one of the great players of the last decade. But our defence marked tightly, so much so that their goal came from a set-piece.
Technically, we have a very good team, very experienced, but when you don’t win the title, it’s because there has been something missing. We had some problems, and we needed a little more preparation, probably in terms of fitness and getting the team to play as a unit. I’m not worried about whether or not I’m going to carry on as coach of the Seleção.

Raymond DOMENECH (Coach, FRA)

We had an overall strategy for playing against Brazil, as well as individual plans for dealing with their players. Against a team like that, you can’t take the game to them throughout the 90 minutes, but if you sit back too much, you allow them to exert their stranglehold. So the idea was to find the right balance, which we managed to do by retaining control of the game. I wouldn’t say that we dominated, but we did keep the necessary control. That said, we suffered quite a bit late on. In football, there’s no such thing as a team having to play against 11 reigning world champions. We went out onto the pitch tonight on equal terms. I don’t want to single out any of my lads in particular. You all seem surprised by how well Zinedine Zidane played, but that’s just what you get with Zizou! I could mention any of the 14 players who did a job for us tonight, and even those who stayed on the bench made contributions. As against Spain, this victory belongs to the whole squad. It wasn’t so much Zidane followed by the others, but rather Zidane together with the others. As I’ve been telling you for quite some time now, our target is to be in Berlin on 9 July. But rather than taking the next game for granted, I’m just saying that we’ve reached another stage this evening, an exciting stage, but nothing more. We are happy, but we won’t be telling ourselves that the semi-final is enough and we’ve done what we set out to do at the World Cup. We’re going to fight until the end and see where that takes us. Two years ago, we set out with the aim of putting the smile back on the faces of our supporters. I believe we’ve done a pretty good job of that, but I can assure you that there’s more to come!

The Players


Zinedine Zidane (FRA)

We kept things tight and closed ranks. Physically, we were able to keep going until the end and we've come away with a deserved victory once again. Now, we're going to try and win that Trophy. I've got no intention of stopping now. It's just so amazing!

RONALDO (BRA)

I’m very sad, very disappointed with this defeat. We had plans to go much further, but it didn’t happen. France were the better team, and when all’s said and done, that’s football. We are proud of how we battled and what we sacrificed in order to get this far. France didn’t surprise us. We knew that they were a great team, and they showed that. They played great football, intelligent football that got the better of us.

JUNINHO (BRA)

There’s no point looking around for excuses. France played better than us. They didn’t have a lot of chances, and their goal came from a set-piece, but once they scored it was very difficult for us to turn it round. I think that the team as a whole didn’t play well tonight. Robinho made a difference when he came on, and he tried to give us a lift, but now we have to accept the criticism and start to get the young players ready for the next World Cup. We didn’t play as Brazil can.

ROBINHO (BRA)

Life is a learning curve. We learn when we win, but you also learn when you lose. It was my first World Cup and I’m sad because I didn’t manage to become a world champion.

KAKA (BRA)

We lost because we didn’t impose our style of play on them at any stage. Right now, it’s difficult to say why that happened. If we knew, then we would have done something about it on the pitch.

Thierry HENRY (FRA)

We deserved to win. Our tactics came off. It’s risky to say that we are the favourites against Portugal. The most important thing is to take one step at a time. As regards the goal, it was just a case of being in the right place at the right time. My job was just to put the ball in the back of the net. But the goal isn’t the most important thing for me. The most important thing is that we showed that we can play as a team. To play against Brazil, you mustn’t respect them too much, otherwise they can finish you off.

Patrick VIEIRA (FRA)

Our players were well spread out across the pitch, and we filled every gap. We played very well. The game was testament to the hard work we have put in up to now. We’re getting better with each match, just as in 1998. Now we are really up for it. Portugal will be difficult opponents, but we know that we can beat them.

EMERSON (BRA)

I’m just lost in the moment. I don’t like making plans for the future. I’m sad because we made a lot of people cry, including my family. Now it’s time to think about our club teams again in order to carry on doing well for the national team. I don’t think that there was any problem with our preparation. France were the better team, end of story. It hurts more when you don’t play. I’m much more nervous than when I’m playing.

Florent MALOUDA (FRA)

It’s a good feeling to get to the semi-finals and I think that the most important thing for our team tonight was how we defended. We were like a wall and that allowed us to create some chances on goal. That made the difference. (Zinedine) Zidane showed his great experience and professionalism. Now we have some time to get ready for Portugal. We will also have to defend well in that match, and we have to give it everything we’ve got.

Fabien BARTHEZ (FRA)

It was a great night. We did everything that we had to do. Tomorrow we can begin to prepare and it is important that we forget this game and concentrate 100 per cent on Portugal. It was a match between two important football nations, and it was always going to be decided in the details. We managed to make the difference. I haven’t got words to describe (Zinedine) Zidane’s performance. He was like our conductor.

William GALLAS (FRA)

It was our best performance in the last two years.

Overall, an amazing performance from France or should I say Zidane to dethrone the champions of the world. This match marked the end of the road for many of the stars like CAFU (BRA), Roberto CARLOS (BRA), JUNINHO (BRA), DIDA (BRA) and probably for the man who has scored the most number goals in the tournaments long history RONALDO (BRA). Sadly we cannot see these flamboyant brazilians any more in World Cup action. The Zizou Ship continues to sail. Who knows what more he has got to offer the fans all over the world.

MY RATING:

ARGENTINA 6-0 SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Friday, 16th June 2006

Argentina gave a fearsome show of attacking strength as they swept aside Group C rivals Serbia and Montenegro 6-0 in Gelsenkirchen on Friday, 16 June 2006. Jose Pekerman's team equalled their record FIFA World Cup™ win against Peru from 1978 against opponents they had, coincidentally, dismantled by the same score at the 2004 Olympic Football Tournament. More importantly, the victory took them a big step closer to the second round, while leaving Serbia and Montenegro’s hopes hanging by a thread. The flow of goals began in the sixth minute with Maxi Rodriguez and after Esteban Cambiasso had doubled the lead in the 31st minute, Rodriguez struck again to make it 3-0 ten minutes later. There was no respite for Serbia and Montenegro after the break as, following the dismissal of Mateja Kezman, Hernan Crespo hit Argentina's fourth in the 78th minute. Substitutes Carlos Tevez (84') and Lionel Messi (88') completed the scoring in the final ten minutes.

The match:
2': Argentina showed their intent from the off, putting the Serbia and Montenegro defence under early pressure with a series of corners.

6': Serbia and Montenegro's defence went 649 minutes without conceding in qualifying but it took Argentina just six minutes to find the net here, following some fine
interplay between Rodriguez, Juan Pablo Sorin and Javier Saviola. Rodriguez applied the final touch as he collected a Saviola pass and slipped the ball past Dragoslav
Jevric. (1-0)

10': Predrag Djordjevic had the first sight of the Argentine goal at the other end but his volleyed attempted lacked power and direction.

17': Luis Gonzalez left the field with an apparent injury to the adductor muscle in his left leg, Cambiasso coming on in his place.

23': A spell of Serbia and Montenegro possession proved short-lived and Argentina soon had the Balkan team under pressure again, Juan Roman Riquelme testing their backline with a couple of set-pieces.

28': Riquelme worked his way into a shooting position but blazed the ball over the crossbar.

31': A glorious move produced Argentina's second goal. The ball was swept crossfield from one navy shirt to another before arriving at the feet of Cambiasso. He fed Crespo with his back to goal in the box, and was on hand to meet the striker's back-heeled return and shoot high into the net. (2-0)

35': Crespo raced onto Saviola's through-ball and finished past Jevric but the linesman's flag was already raised for offside.

41': The third goal arrived thanks to the persistence of Saviola. After stealing the ball from Mladen Krstajic by the corner flag, he glided past another white shirt before
launching a low shot at goal. Jevric got a hand to the ball, pushing it towards the far post where Rodriguez turned it into the net, via a post. (3-0)

More of the same:

46': Roberto Abbondanzieri was finally called into action, to turn behind a low drive from Savo Milosevic.

51': Crespo, seeking a goal of his own, powered in a shot on goal but straight at Jevric. Sorin then engineered another opportunity in the box with an eye-catching flick
of his heel but Saviola was flagged offside.

55': A clear scoring chance went begging for Serbia and Montenegro, following some fine work by substitute Danijel Ljuboja. After surging down the right, he sidestepped a defender and launched a cross to the far post to Kezman. The No.8 volleyed the ball back across goal but, with a free header, Milosevic – on his 100th international appearance - failed to even make contact with the ball.

65': The Serbo-Montenegrins' day went from bad to worse with Kezman dismissed for a two-footed challenge on Javier Mascherano.

74': Riquelme nearly conjured a goal for Crespo with a gorgeous flick but the No.9 went down under pressure from an opponent and the opportunity was gone.

78': Just three minutes after taking the field for his first FIFA World Cup appearance, Messi became the architect of Argentina's fourth goal. Breaking into the left-hand side of the penalty box, he looked up and sent a low cross to the far post where Crespo did the rest. (4-0)

84': Tevez, another substititute, was one of six Argentina players who played in the victory over Serbia and Montenegro in Patras two years ago. He scored twice then
and found the net here with a fine effort. After leaving two defenders for dead he placed the ball low past Jevric for another memorable Argentina goal. (5-0)

88': Now Tevez turned provider, picking out Messi's surge into the box and the teenager did the rest with a confident finish inside the near post. (6-0)

In conclusion:
If anyone doubted Argentina's credentials, they can doubt no more. As for Serbia and Montenegro, this ‘nightmare group’ has become just that.

Man of the Match: Juan RIQUELME (ARG)

Juan Riquelme was the centrepiece of an Argentine attack that put the ball in the net six times against Serbia and Montenegro on Friday, earning himself recognition as the Budweiser Man of the Match. By half-time, Argentina were already in control thanks to two goals by Maxi Rodriguez in the sixth and 41st minutes, and another by Esteban Cambiasso in the 31st. After Serbia and Montenegro were reduced to ten men thanks the 65th-minute expulsion of Mateja Kezman, the floodgates really opened, as Hernan Crespo, Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi each followed with goals in the last quarter-hour. The honour could easily have been awarded to any
number of Argentine players, as there was clearly no shortage of impressive performances, but Riquelme was recognised for being at the centre of it all.

It was not easy to choose the Budweiser Man of the Match because there were several very good players, but we thought that Riquelme had a tremendous influence for Argentina. In an Argentine team that played very well, he always asked for the ball. His ability and passing vision were fundamental factors in the great attacking performance that we were presented with here today.

said FIFA Technical Study Group member Roy Hodgson.



Quotes From The Match:

The Coaches

Jose PEKERMAN (ARG)

Argentina closed the game out really well after the first two goals. Serbia and Montenegro were meant to pose a big threat so it's an important victory for us. We’ve got a great squad, a team with a real will to win. They know what they want and they go out and get it. The injury to Lucho (Luis Gonzalez) was a big setback, but we just carried on playing good football. That’s very important too. You’re all asking me who’s going to play against the Netherlands and that’s understandable, but I can’t make any decisions just yet. In the next few hours we’ll start thinking about what’s best for that game. What’s clear, though, is that they’re a very strong side and it will be a tough game. As for the so-called 'Group of Death', well, in this game people always tend to look at what's happened in the past. Sometimes, though, things don’t turn out how you expect. That’s what makes football so exciting. When the draw was made the group looked very tight. The Netherlands were in transition and so were we. Serbia and Montenegro sent Spain into the play-offs and Côte d’Ivoire were the top African side, so yes, it looked tough. What’s happened, though, is just typical of football. Mexico and Portugal are two very good footballing sides that qualified comfortably for the World Cup and have gone on from there. They’ll both be hard to beat.

Ilija PETKOVIC (SCG)

It's an absolutely terrible result, the worst in our history, and I've got take responsibility for it. I did what I could but nothing worked. I don’t want to point the finger at any player in particular. We made some errors for sure, but the buck stops with me. I’ve got to lick my wounds so I’d rather not talk about Argentina. All I’ll say is that time will tell if they played a great game or we played a bad one. Today also shows that the qualifiers and the World Cup finals are two completely different things. You have to face different types of teams and the results are there for all to see. I’m not blind. We’ll just have to do what we can against Côte d’Ivoire.

The Players


Juan Roman RIQUELME (ARG)

I think we're at a very good level. Just like the last game, I think we deserved to win this match. I don't like the comparison, but in the last World Cup we had some good games, but we didn't have any luck in front of goal. Now we are putting the ball in the net. I hope that this doesn't prove to be our best game, and I hope we can continue to improve. Today we're very happy because of what we've done, but our intention is to keep growing as a team. I imagine all the Argentinian fans, both here and back home, enjoyed our performance. We players enjoyed it too. As for Messi, he did well and I'm pleased that he feels fine and played well. I love watching him play.

Lionel MESSI (ARG)

I'm happy to have made my (FIFA World Cup) debut, and, of course, because I scored. However, I want to remember the team’s performance, which was very good. We have to stay calm and keep working hard. Before the match, Diego Maradona came up to me and wished me luck, and that was a big lift for me, no doubt about it.

Maximiliano RODRIGUEZ (ARG)

It was an incredible game, and I can’t complain. The team won, we played well, and I got two goals. As far as the team's performance is concerned, we showed that we could play with freedom. We managed to put our plan into practice, which was to keep the ball moving and be solid. We did very well.

Javier MASCHERANO (ARG)

When you win you always feel good, and more so when you're playing at this level. But there are always things to improve and we can't be complacent. When you win 6-0, it’s difficult to pick out any mistakes, but we have to keep our feet on the ground. Today we won an important match, but we have to be level-headed about it if we are going to keep improving.

Carlos TEVEZ (ARG)

I'm very happy, firstly because I played, and secondly because I scored. It’s one of the best things that has happened to me in my career. Now we have to keep calm, and humble. We can’t let this go to our heads because we could come crashing back down to earth.

Javier SAVIOLA (ARG)

We have to be happy but calm. All three areas of the team played well, in attack as well as in defence. We had won the previous game, but today we played good football and that’s the most important thing. The euphoria? It’s difficult to stop it, especially among our fans, but the big players in the squad have to take charge and calm everyone else down. This is a World Cup and all the teams are strong.

Nicolas BURDISSO (ARG)

You never expect games like this one, and so it’s good to enjoy it. As of tomorrow, we can start to think about Holland. We performed well in the first half, but it is difficult to analyse the second. The good thing was that we were the ones who opened up the game.

Mladen KRSTAJIC (SCG)

We played against a fantastic team and there is no shame in losing to a team of this calibre. I will be the first to congratulate them on a wonderful performance.

Albert NADJ (SCG)

Argentina were much better than us today, there is nothing we can do about that. They were smarter and in terms of technique they are virtually untouchable. After we went a man down we were dead in the water. Now we have to focus on our last match and hopefully we can get a win to bring back to our people at home. Of course we are very sad, but they scored with all of their chances. We know we are pretty much out now.

Dejan STANKOVIC (SCG)

The people back home will be upset, because when you lose 6-0 it’s like you were really destroyed. But now we need to put this behind us and do our best to win our last match against the Ivory Coast.

Mateja KEZMAN (SCG)

We had a very bad day. They (Argentina) are a very good team and they outplayed us the whole game long and we never had a chance. Argentina and Brazil are my candidates to win it all.

Ognjen KOROMAN (SCG)

It was really tough for us today. We did what we could, but after Kezman was sent off we had no chance really.

Ivan ERGIC (SCG)

To lose 6-0 is horrible, but we were not completely fit and we have had a lot of pressure put on us by the press and the media back home.

This game produced the most number of goals in a single match in this world cup. Argentina's second goal stole the show though. Starting the play from defence, 24 passes were linked together to create a master move to break Serbia's defence. Surely one of the contenders for goal of the tournament. This will be the last world cup in which Serbia and Montenegro participate as Serbia and Montenegro. Sadly they were knocled out at such an early stage. Argentina showed how a team can break down defences by immaculate passing. An amazing performance.

MY RATING:

SPAIN 1-3 FRANCE
Hanover, Tuesday, 27 June 2006

Late goals from Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane booked France a quarter-final tie with Brazil as they came from behind to beat Spain 3-1 in Hanover on Tuesday, 27 June 2006. A 28th minute penalty from David Villa had given Luis Aragones’ side the lead, but Frank Ribery’s equaliser four minutes before half-time restored parity for Les Bleus. With the match heading for extra time, Vieira’s header from a Zidane free-kick took a deflection off Sergio Ramos and ended up in the back of Iker Casillas’ net. As Spain pushed for an equaliser, ‘Zizou’ took advantage of a misplaced pass from Cesc Fabregas, before turning past Carles Puyol and steering a shot beyond Iker Casillas. France will now meet Brazil in Frankfurt in the quarter-finals on Saturday 1 July. Suspended for the final group match against Togo, Zidane was recalled to the starting line-up by Raymond Domenech. The inclusion of the Spanish captain, Raul, came as more of a surprise though. Coach Luis Aragones plumped for an attacking formation with young Fabregas preferred to Marcos Senna in midfield.

The match:

9': There was plenty of respect in the opening exchanges between these neighbouring nations. Mariano Pernia provided the first real shot, bending a 25-yard free kick just wide.

11': Thierry Henry, who had given Puyol an uncomfortable time during the UEFA Champions League Final between Arsenal and Barcelona, cut inside from his favoured left side and forced Iker Casillas into a save.

23': France were enjoying a good deal of possession and they almost went in front following a fine move. Zidane found Henry whose devastating cross across the six-yard box proved too good for the defenders as well as the lunging Ribery and Vieira.

28': But it was Spain who grabbed the lead. Lilian Thuram fouled Pablo inside the box and Villa stroked the penalty low and hard into the corner giving Fabien Barthez no chance. It was Spain’s 14th consecutive success from the spot during open play at a FIFA World Cup and Villa’s third strike of the finals. (1-0)

41': It seemed to settle Aragones’ side but France hit back in superb fashion. Ribery picked up the ball just inside the Spanish half and played a one-two with Vieira before rounding Casillas and slipping the ball home. (1-1)

All square:

After the exertions of the first half, the pace of the game slowed noticeably after the break with midfields congested and defences on top.

52': France did break through the Spanish defence again just after the break. Zidane sent Florent Malouda clear on goal with a delicate chip and only a flying save from Casillas kept out the Lyon midfielder’s lobbed finish.

60': Ribery and substitute Joaquin sent in teasing crosses that caused panic in the two respective defences but generally chances were now few and far between.

77': Joaquin beat his man on the right side of the box but scuffed his left-foot shot and the ball missed the near post.

81': At the other end, substitute Sidney Govou shot over from 20 yards after more good work from Ribery.

83': With the game looking destined to go to extra-time, France struck with the killer blow. Puyol blocked Henry’s run and from Zidane’s resulting free-kick Vieira, positioned at the back post, headed powerfully down off the leg of Ramos and into the corner to spark jubilant celebrations among players and fans. (1-2)

90': Spain poured forward in search of the equaliser but Les Bleus’ defence held firm.

90+2': France countered. The ball found Zidane on the left and he cut inside Puyol before finishing superbly at the near post. (1-3)

In conclusion: Answering their critics, France produced a fine all-round performance to set up an intriguing quarter-final against Brazil. Spain, who had shown so much promise in the group stage and taken the lead midway through the first half, pack their bags for home having once again flattered to deceive in a major tournament.

Man of the Match: Patrick VIEIRA (FRA)

After leading France to a crucial victory in their final first-round match against Togo, Patrick Vieira was once again the hero for Raymond Domenech's side in the Round of 16. He made the pass that led to France's first-half equaliser and scored their decisive second goal seven minutes from the end in the 3-1 win over Spain in Hanover. The Juventus man, known for his ability to contribute in both attack and defence, lived up to all expectations in this match. He was a constant nuisance to a very skilful Spanish midfield that knocked the ball around with their usual flair but only rarely managed to create clear chances. He also made his mark in the attacking third. In the 41st minute, with Spain looking comfortable with a 1-0 lead from David Villa's spot-kick, Vieira unlocked the Spanish defence with a one-two that sent Frank Ribery free to round goalkeeper Iker Casillas and finish into an empty net. Then with the score deadlocked in the 83rd minute, Vieira was in the right place as a Zinedine Zidane free-kick deflected off a Spanish defender and came right to him at the back post, where he finished with a header from close range.

He did extremely well in the midfield supporting France not only in defence, but also in the attack, And finally he scored the winning goal, which was definitive for the match. That's why he deserves to be the Budweiser Man of the Match.

,said FIFA Technical Study Group member Kwok Ka-Ming.

Quotes From The Match:

The Coaches

Luis ARAGONES (Coach, ESP)

It was a very even game. We had more possession in the first half and created more opportunities. We made a mistake not stopping (Frank) Ribery with a tactical foul before he scored, and I didn't think there was a foul for the second goal. Even so, we weren't able to stop their player in time. We gave as good as we got against France and we still lost. Their equaliser hit us badly but I don't think the final scoreline was an accurate reflection of what happened out there. At no time were the French down and out. They’ve got some great players. When we went looking for the equaliser, Cesc (Fabregas) gave the ball away for the first time all night and they got a third. As for the reaction of the fans, well they'll just have to decide for themselves. We’ve got a young side and they gave everything, but in the knockout phase we lacked that competitive edge and couldn't hold onto our advantage. You have to congratulate the winning side but they weren't that much better than us. We can be composed because we've been professional. I'm disappointed because I wanted to win for the fans and get a little closer to the teams who always win. But there you go, France are one of those teams.

Raymond DOMENECH (Coach, FRA)

I didn't see a great difference between the first and second half. The match followed the same script from the very first minute. There was no improvisation as it were – it just followed its natural course. We won because we were patient, worked hard, stuck together and were intelligent. We started slowly but we were in top gear by the end. The players were prepared to beat Spain, and it’s not always easy to face them. We had some very difficult moments, but the players used their heads and their intelligence and that won the day. They made the most of Spain’s anxiety and stopped them from playing their game. There are 23 players in the squad and I don’t want to single anyone out. Ribery stood out tonight and tomorrow it will be someone else. Also you come to expect (Zinedine) Zidane to influence games like that. The fact that he can score a goal in the 92nd minute at the age of 34 is another reason for us to feel happy. Not many coaches reach the quarter-finals and that makes it even more special. We want to keep going now. We’re improving with every game and we have the potential to get even better. I’m not making any predictions because anything can happen against Brazil.

The Players


Patrick VIEIRA (FRA)

This was a magnificent victory and one we richly deserved. There were a lot of questions being asked about the team but today we showed they were unjustified. Now we have to keep our feet on the ground because we want to go all the way. There's still a long road ahead but we can do it.

RAUL (ESP)

It’s always a tremendous disappointment whenever you have to go home earlier than you wanted. France were the better side and although we tried, we didn’t have many chances to win the game, despite the fact we put everything into beating them. We’re a young team and we need to learn from the good things we’ve done. There’s a lot of quality in this side and the future looks bright for the next few tournaments. I hope things go well at the 2008 European Championship because I think that will be my last championship.

Zinedine ZIDANE (FRA)

We took to the field with incredible hunger tonight. We managed to get the win and now we want to keep on winning.

Thierry HENRY (FRA)

We played as a team tonight and we fought like dogs. Above all, we didn't want to drop too deep. There's an extraordinary spirit in the squad at the moment, even if a lot of people seem to find that hard to believe. That spirit has been the key to our wins. Today, France were without doubt the best team both physically and mentally.

Cesc FABREGAS (ESP)

We struggled out there and we couldn’t do anything about it. We started off well but that goal just before half-time hit us hard. I feel absolutely terrible because we’re going home as losers.

XABI ALONSO (ESP)

It was a great game while it was all-square. At the end we had to score but we just couldn’t manage it. We have to learn to compete and hang in there in tough matches. We just have to accept it. We dominated the game in the first half but we switched off for a second and everything changed. We’re not happy and it hurts a lot right now, and we’ll need to improve for the European Championship. It’s so disappointing to be going home because we expected to be here for longer. We didn’t manage to keep our advantage intact for the second half or take the lead again and that was the key.

Iker CASILLAS (ESP)

That’s another World Cup gone, another major tournament we let slip away. We’ve thrown ourselves into every match, but we weren’t up to it today. We didn’t play as well as we did in our other games and I’m just sorry for the fans that we couldn’t make them happy.

JOAQUIN (ESP)

We’ve got to look to the future. We’re down but life goes on and this generation is very young. We’ve got the European Championship and we’re going to keep on working hard.

Fernando TORRES (ESP)

We can go home with our heads held high because we’ve performed well and this is a young team with lots of quality. I’m sure the nucleus we have here can bring more joy to the fans at the next World Cup.

David VILLA (ESP)

It was a very even game and their equaliser affected us badly. We were all convinced we were going to win because of how we’d been playing. We really thought today was going to be a big day for Spain. I would have liked to have finished the game but the guys that came on did really well. This is just something we’ll have to learn from so we can improve. We’re very sad we came up against a great team who played a great game.

Lilian THURAM (FRA)

Tonight, I'm feeling even more emotions than in 1998. It's an extraordinary feeling to win when you're not playing at home. The trauma of 2002 was still hanging over us at the start of the competition, but we're beyond that now. It's forgotten.

Willy SAGNOL (FRA)

We're never pleased unless we win and tonight we're absolutely thrilled. It may not look like it from the outside, but the mood in the camp is good. We're all happy together.

William GALLAS (FRA)

We proved this France team can play at an excellent level. We take very little notice of criticism. All that matters to us is the team and how we get on.

Frank RIBERY (FRA)

We thoroughly deserved tonight's victory and were able to make the difference at all the right times. Spain are an excellent team and that makes me even happier to have got into the next round.

An amazing match, the underdogs France defeated Spain, who were considered to be one of the contenders to lift the grand-daddy of them all, The World Cup 2006.

MY RATING:

PORTUGAL 1-0 NETHERLANDS
Nuremberg on Sunday, 25 June 2006

Portugal progressed to a quarter-final against England after eliminating the Netherlands through a first-half goal from Maniche in Nuremberg on Sunday, 25 June 2006. Maniche's fine 23rd-minute goal was the high point of a match tarnished by four red cards. After Portugal's Costinha was dismissed on the stroke of half-time, three other players followed him off the field in the second period: Khalid Boulahrouz after 63 minutes, Deco after 78, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst five minutes into injury time. Portugal, who beat England in the quarter-finals at UEFA EURO 2004, will try to repeat that performance when the teams meet again in Gelsenkirchen next Saturday, 1 July.

The match:
1': It did not take the Dutch long to break into their stride and Mark van Bommel collected a pass from Dirk Kuyt – in the team ahead of Ruud van Nistelrooij – and rifled a wicked drive inches wide.

14': The match quickly began to develop a physical edge with two Dutch bookings - for Van Bommel and Boulahrouz - inside the first ten minutes. However, the Oranje
were also carving out the better scoring chances. Robin van Persie's grass-cutting strike eventually slipped wide of the post, but had Ricardo scrambling.

23': Despite those near things, it was Portugal who scored the all-important goal from their first significant attack, Deco crossed dangerously from the right for
Pauleta, who dropped a first-time ball back to Maniche. The midfielder did brilliantly well to make space for himself to hammer a right-footed drive into the top
corner. (1-0)

33': Portugal began to uncoil their springs after the opening goal, flying forward with some fine attacking football. However they were hit by the loss of Cristiano
Ronaldo, who left the field with a thigh injury sustained in an early challenge from Boulahrouz. The young winger left the field in tears, to be replaced by Simao
Sabrosa.

37': The Dutch hit back with some good work of their own and Van Persie was unlucky to see his drive from a tough angle fly wide of the post after some dazzling
dribbling in the Portuguese box.

45': Portugal had a fine chance to extend their lead on the stroke of half-time, but Van der Sar made a spectacular save from Pauleta's close-range effort. Just
seconds later referee Valentin Ivanov showed the first red card of the night as Costinha picked up his second yellow for a handball.

Cocu so close:

49': The Dutch started the second period brightly. After Van Bommel missed what would have been a spectacular bicycle kick in the area, veteran midfielder Phillip Cocu found himself the beneficiary of a kind bounce. But his luck ran out when he hammered his shot from eight yards against the crossbar.

50': Keeping up the pressure, Van Bommel unleashed a vicious shot from 20 yards only to see his try saved brilliantly by the increasingly harried Ricardo.

57': After some nice approach work on the right from Luis Figo, Maniche nearly scored his second of the day but a sprawling save from Van Der Sar denied him.

63': Boulahrouz was sent off after collecting a second yellow card for catching Figo in the face with his arm.

78': There was now little football played as the mood became increasingly fractious. Portugal midfielder Deco became the third player to see red, again for a second bookable offence.

81': Kuyt spurned a real opportunity for the Dutch as the outrushing Ricardo saved bravely at his feet.

90+5': Van Bronckhorst was booked for a second cautionable offence in the dying moments as the match ended with nine against nine. In the end, though, the Portuguese were able to withstand a late Dutch onslaught and hang on for the victory.

In conclusion: As the disappointed Dutch embark on their short journey home, Portugal are into the quarter-finals for only the second time in their history where they will meet England. The two sides met back in the semi-finals in 1966 and England emerged victorious en route to their only ever FIFA World Cup title.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Maniche (POR)

Maniche was named Budweiser Man of the Match after his first-half goal proved to be enough to lift Portugal to a 1-0 victory over Netherlands in a game that saw tempers flare as four players were sent off. The Chelsea midfielder, who netted a wonderful strike in Portugal’s last group match against Mexico, performed impressively in both attack and defence and produced the game's defining moment in the 23rd minute. He burst into the box onto a ball laid off by Pauleta, took a couple of clever touches to make space for himself and fired a shot past Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

He played an outstanding game in the Portuguese midfield, defending and attacking all through the 90 minutes, When the two Portuguese players (Costinha and Deco) where sent off, he kept showing the same attitude, the same speed and the same rhythm. And besides all the effort he made for the team, he was a decisive player, scoring a magnificent goal

,said FIFA Technical Study Group member Rodrigo Kenton.

Quotes From The Match:

The Coaches

Luiz Felipe SCOLARI(Coach, POR)
I feel total happiness. What I saw today from this group of players hasn’t been seen in Portugal for many years. I have never seen anybody fight so much and do so much for Portugal. We have to congratulate these players, in spite of the odd moment of excess on the part of both teams. It was an intense, controversial and difficult game. It was a very similar game to the matches you see in the Copa Libertadores, especially games against Argentinian teams. Today was very similar. Now I have to put a team together to face England, but with a few problems. But that’s part of my job. I’ve got 23 players, two cannot play, but Cristiano (Ronaldo) has got five or six days and he will probably recover. My contract finishes on 31 July, and I don’t want to think about anything until then. I hope to give the Portuguese what they have given to me: hard work and affection in the way that they have welcomed my family and me. We want our exploits to go beyond what the country did in 1966.

Marco VAN BASTEN (Coach, NED)
It’s a shame that there wasn’t much football played in the second half. At half-time we told the players to be careful, because if there’s one red card, then more usually follow. The advantage we had slipped away, and when it was ten against ten, we tried to attack, but for 45 minutes we didn't play our normal game. There was a foul every minute. It's a shame. I began my work two years ago with a lot of young players, with a new philosophy and everything went well in qualification. The team was growing up, in spite of playing difficult opponents like Argentina and Côte d’Ivoire. Portugal are an experienced side, and I think that was the main difference. They used all the tricks in the book and they knew

Ronaldo inscribed his name into football's history books on Tuesday by scoring a record-breaking 15th FIFA World Cup™ goal to take him clear of Gerd Muller as the tournament's all-time top marksman. The strike set Brazil on the road to the quarter-finals with a 3-0 win over Ghana, and it came eight years and 11 days on from O Fenômeno's first in this great competition, which by coincidence also came in a 3-0 win over African opposition.
Afterwards, he reflected on the achievement:

How do I make history? It's tough, difficult, it's not easy. You need a lot of sacrifice and a lot of work. This is the product of many, many years of effort.

There was, though, no suggestion that it would satiate the thirst of a player not yet satisfied with his extensive list of achievements.

What do I want from now on? More, more and more. I want to keep scoring, as I still have much left to give.

Here, FIFAworldcup.com looks back on the fantastic 15 that have cemented Ronaldo's status as one of the game's all-time greats.

Goal 15, 27 June 2006, Brazil 3-0 Ghana:
One goal, 5 minutes

The goal that broke Muller's record from the 1970 and 1974 tournaments was classic Ronaldo. Timing his run to perfection to spring the Ghanaian offside trap, he raced onto a sublime through-ball from Kaka and, faced with a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper, provided the inevitable conclusion.
Cool, calm and collected, he left Richard Kingson sprawling with a clever shimmy, dragged the ball round the keeper and, with a defender rapidly closing in, flicked out his right boot to send the ball home. History was thus made.


Goals 13 and 14, 22 June 2006, Japan 1-4 Brazil:
Two goals, 46 and 81 mins

Ronaldo's first goal at Germany 2006 boosted his waning confidence and silenced the critics who had poured scorn on his apparent lack of pace and co-ordination. Although crucial to both Ronaldo and Brazil, the finish itself was more straightforward than spectacular, with Ronaldo glancing in a header to level the score at 1-1 just before half-time.
The striker’s inspired second goal sealed Brazil's emphatic victory. Collecting the ball with his back to the goal outside the area, he turned and found the net with laser-like precision, leaving goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi sprawled helplessly across the turf. With these two goals, Ronaldo equalled Muller's record of 14 FIFA World Cup goals.


Goals 11 and 12, 30 June 2002, Germany 0-2 Brazil:
Two goals, 67 and 79 mins

In the Final of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo scored the two most important goals of his career to secure for Brazil a record fifth world title. For the first, he won the ball on the edge of the area before laying it off for Rivaldo to unleash a powerful shot. The ball rebounded off goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, leaving Ronaldo to tap it into the net and give his country the lead.
The second goal saw Kleberson surge down the right wing before finding Rivaldo on the edge of the box, who dummied cleverly and let the ball run into the path of Ronaldo. From the edge of the area, the tournament's top scorer made no mistake, finding the bottom left-hand corner with a low-struck shot.

Goal 10, 26 June 2002, Brazil 1-0 Turkey:
One goal, 49 mins

A goal of quality and skill in the semi-final: Ronaldo entered the area on the left-hand side and beat two defenders before flicking the ball past goalkeeper Rustu Recber.

Goal 9, 17 June 2002, Brazil 2-0 Belgium:
One goal, 87 mins

Ronaldo's goal brought relief to Brazil after a tough match against a dangerous Belgium side in Kobe. Kleberson broke free on the right and delivered a cross to Ronaldo who had the time and space needed to pick his spot and wrap up the win for Brazil.

Goals 7 and 8, 13 June 2002, Costa Rica 2-5 Brazil:
Two goals, 10 and 13 mins

Early in the first half, Ronaldo struck the first of two goals after connecting with a cross from Edilson. The second goal came from a corner and saw Ronaldo pick up the ball in the area, shake off his marker and hit a weak but well-placed shot between the keeper and the near-post.

Goal 6, 8 June 2002, Brazil 4-0 China:
One goal 55 mins

After a powerful run down the right wing that left two men in his wake, Cafu picked out Ronaldo, who comfortably steered the ball past goalkeeper Jiang Jin for his sixth FIFA World Cup goal and Brazil’s fourth of the match.

Goal 5, 3 June 2002, Brazil 2-1 Turkey:
One goal, 50 minutes

Before this match, many doubted whether Ronaldo could light up another the FIFA World Cup, with the striker only recently recovered from a series of career-threatening knee injuries that had plagued him for much of the preceding two years. Five minutes into the second half, however, and just three minutes after Brazil had fallen behind, Ronaldo made his mark, stretching to get his foot to a Rivaldo cross and steer the ball into the net.

Goal 4, 7 July 1998, Brazil 1-1 Netherlands (4-2 PSO):
One goal, 46 mins

The fourth and last of Ronaldo's goals at France 98 closely resembled the others he had scored at the tournament. In the semi-final against Netherlands, Ronaldo beat Frank de Boer and slid the ball under goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who was racing out to close off the angle.


Goals 2 and 3, 27 June 1998, Brazil 4-1 Chile:
Two goals, 45 and 70 mins

Ronaldo's second FIFA World Cup goal came from a penalty on the stroke of half-time in Brazil's Round of 16 tie against Chile – their third of the game. His side's fourth and final goal also came from Ronaldo, who picked up the ball in space and showed a remarkable burst of speed to beat goalkeeper Nelson Tapia.

Goal 1, 16 June 1998, Brazil 3-0 Morocco:
One goal, 9 mins

An unused squad member at USA 94, Ronaldo had to wait until the second match of his second FIFA World Cup before finally opening his account, the bustling centre-forward putting his country in front with a well-struck volley at the start of a group match against Morocco.